Chiropractic is a hands-on profession. Chiropractic hands are trained to heal the body by solving problems in the musculoskeletal system. So, how do the best chiropractors know where to adjust? Through various explorations, we find the source of the problem and then address the root cause with manipulation, adjustment or other techniques to deliver pain relief.
The hands guide the best Chiropractors
Chiropractors use the same diagnostics other health practitioners do to get to the root cause physical pain. The hands help them do that, so in a manner of speaking, the chiropractor’s hands are primary diagnostic tools.
Palpation is chief among the techniques used by chiropractors to determine where patients need help and where to adjust. Using the hands, they test the patient’s response to pressure and manipulation, seeking trouble spots.
They also look at your range of motion and gait as clues to determine where they need to work with your body to get you feeling better.
Palpation
Motion in the body has three physical planes – frontal, sagittal and transverse. Sagittal is the division of the body from front to back. Transverse divides the body in two – top and bottom. Finally, frontal is the front/back division. Motion palpation uses these divisions of the body to determine whether motion is limited in just one plane or in all three.
Static palpation gauges restricted motion while the patient is completely still, as opposed to motion palpation, which monitors the body in motion. Tenderness is a key facet of static palpation.